IReadMore app improves reading ability of stroke patients

A new smart app designed to improve the reading ability of people who have suffered a stroke provides 'significant' improvements, a UCL study has found. Developed by the Aphasia Lab (UCL Institute of Neurology), iReadMore provides computer-based reading therapy using written and spoken words and pictures, and aims to improve word-reading speed and accuracy. Stroke patients typically need around 100 hours of Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT), to see a marked improvement; however, the NHS only provides around 12 hours. The UCL app will enable patients to have limitless hours of SaLT and researchers aim to make it available for general use. The trial, published in the journal Brain , involved 21 chronic stroke patients, with central alexia, which is an acquired reading disorder that also affects speech and comprehension. Participants used the iReadMore app for two, four-week blocks (each block comprising 34 hours). Their reading ability was measured before, during and after the trial, which was funded by the Medical Research Council.  iReadMore contains a large number of 'trained' words, which are regularly repeated during the therapy.